You've probably heard of the term "leading indicators." They're the early signs of future economic trends or events. In other words, they're important indicators for predicting what might happen in the future.
But what exactly are leading indicators? And why are they useful? Let's explore the concept together.
Leading Indicators
Businesses often rely on leading indicators to predict changes in the economy. For example, they might look at employment data before deciding whether or not to hire new employees.
A leading indicator is a variable that predicts future events. In other words, it indicates what will happen next. Leading indicators are helpful because they give us information about trends that may occur in the future. Business leaders often rely on leading indicators when making decisions about their companies.
Examples of leading indicators in the business include:
- Number of client calls per sales representative as the leading indicator of sales growth
- Client satisfaction ratings as the leading indicator of the growth of the organization
- Training budget as the leading indicator of employee satisfaction
Lagging Indicators
Lagging indicators are those that reflect past conditions. They're usually used to see how well a company has been doing in the past. Lagging indicators give us an idea of where we've been but don't provide much insight into where we're going.
For example, if you want to know how many people have applied for jobs at your company last year, that is a lagging indicator of the company's growth.
The unemployment rate, which measures the percentage of unemployed workers among all employed ones, would be a good example of a lagging indicator. It tells us how things were last year, but not how they'll be this year.
Examples of lagging indicators in the business include:
- Number of safety accidents at the site
- Quarterly sales achieved
- Product returns because of quality issues
Leading vs. Lagging Indicators
A "leading" indicator signals what's likely to happen, whereas a "lagging" indicator signals what happened. In economics, a "leading" indicator signals changes in economic activity ahead of time (e.g., business cycle peaks). A "lagging" indicator signals changes behind the curve (i.e., after the fact), such as the unemployment rate. These two indicators are significant because they signal different aspects of the same phenomenon.
Leading indicators are usually hard to measure. This makes them difficult to apply to the real world. On the other hand, there are some advantages to using leading indicators. First, they signal changes in the future so that businesses can prepare accordingly. Second, they allow companies to create strategies based on predictions instead of reality.
So, Which Type Should You Use?
Both types of indicators are necessary. To make informed decisions, you must use both kinds of indicators. That way, you'll get a better picture of what's happening now and what's coming up in the near future.
